Hontiveros Receives Copy of Isang Kaibigan Written by VP Duterte
ISANG KAIBIGAN – Senator Risa Hontiveros received a copy of the book written by Vice President Sara Duterte, which had been the subject of a heated exchange between the two during a Senate budget hearing on August 20, 2024. The Office of the Vice President (OVP) sent Hontiveros the book the following morning, prompting her to share a video on Facebook on August 21, where she described the book as “very demure, very mindful.”
The controversy began during the budget hearing for the OVP, where Hontiveros questioned the allocation of ₱10 million for the distribution of Isang Kaibigan. She asked for more details about the book and how many copies would be purchased with the allocated funds. Her inquiry hinted at concerns about the propriety of using government resources to distribute a book prominently featuring the Vice President’s name, which could be seen as a political move.
Vice President Duterte responded sharply, accusing Hontiveros of politicizing the budget hearing. She argued that the senator’s problem was not with the book’s content but with the fact that her name was associated with it.
Duterte suggested that Hontiveros was implying the book’s distribution could influence voters, as the book would be given to children whose parents are potential voters. Duterte viewed this line of questioning as an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the OVP’s budget request by framing it as a political tactic.
“This is an example of politicizing the budget hearing through the questions of a senator. Ang problema niya kasi, nakalagay ‘yung pangalan ko doon sa libro, at ‘yung libro na ‘yan ibibigay namin doon sa mga bata. At ‘yung mga bata na ‘yan may mga magulang na boboto, at ‘yung pangalan ko ay nagkalat doon sa kung saan man ibibigay ‘yung libro,” Duterte stressed.